Teenager In Love
by tmnt-lucy
Summary: Donnie x OC. Donnie has been trying to get over April with little success. After spending a few months talking with a girl online, his brothers decide it would be best for him to meet her in person. How will this girl react to finding out who Donnie really is? What happens when he discovers a secret she's been hiding from him?
1. Prelude

_**smartguy3** has signed on._

 _ **coffiholic16** : Hey! I was just about to sign out lol._

 _ **smartguy3** : Oh yea? It's pretty late. I'm surprised you're still awake._

 _ **coffiholic16** : I've been studying most the night x.x I feel like my brains going to pop!_

 _ **smartguy3** : That wouldn't be possible lol._

 _ **coffiholic16** : I know, I know, Mr. Accurate lol._

 _ **smartguy3** : lol. How did studying go? Did my explanation help with the equations?_

 _ **coffiholic16** : They helped alot! I think I may actually pass! =D_

 _ **smartguy3** : That's great! :)_

 _ **coffiholic16** : Yea! ^w^ btw, have you heard the rumors about the crime fighting turtles?_

 _ **smartguy3** : Crime fighting turtles?_

 _ **coffiholic16** : Yea! Before my neighbor disappeared he kept going on and on about how he had a video of "Kung fu frogs" but my friend Timmy swore that they were turtles._

 _ **smartguy3** : Do you believe them?_

Donnie felt as if his heart was in his throat. Not only did Coffi know Spiderbite, they also knew The Pulverizer! The chances of that happening were so slim yet here he was, holding his breath as he stared at the bright screen, waiting for the dark green text to appear. He jumped at the quiet ping when the message came through.

 _ **coffiholic16** : I dunno. How cool would that be though? Especially if they were turtles?!_

 _ **smartguy3** : Do you like turtles?_

 _ **coffiholic16** : I love turtles! They've been my favorite animal since I was super little! w_

 _ **smartguy3** : Did you ever get to see that video your neighbor had?_

 _ **coffiholic16** : Are you kidding? That crabby old man was so paranoid someone would steal his phone that he wouldn't show anyone!_

Donnie sighed in relief. At least he knew for sure that video was never seen by anyone.

 _ **coffiholic16** : How cool would that be though? Like seriously meeting a turtle that could fight crime? I'd love that!_

 _ **smartguy3** : Really?_

 _ **coffiholic16** : Totally!_

Donnie smiled at the screen. Meeting someone that wanted to meet them, someone that was excited to meet them, he never thought he'd see that. Before Donnie could reply, he felt two strong arms suddenly pin his arms at his side as a blur of orange sat in his lap.

"Speaking of meeting, do you want to meet?" Mikey said aloud as he typed, hitting the enter button before his brother could respond.

"What are you doing?!" Donnie exclaimed, "Raph, let me go!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Raph said, releasing his little brother, "But I think this would be good for you."

"Huh?" Donnie stared at his older brother in confusion.

"D, you should totally meet this Coffi girl! You two got some chemistry!" Mikey said with a grin.

"First of all, what makes you think Coffi is a girl?" Donnie asked.

"Cause she totally types like a girl!" Mikey replied.

"Casey never uses the cutesy text faces she uses either." Raph pointed out as Mikey nodded.

"I see, I see. My second thought," Donnie said before glaring at the two boys, "How would you two even know?! Have you been reading our chat history?!"

"Maybe a little." Mikey said innocently as he looked away.

"With how you've been acting can you really blame us?" Raph asked.

"And just how have I been acting?" Donnie asked as he crossed his arms.

"Come on, don't make us say it." Raph said, sighing as Donnie impatiently drummed his finger on his elbow, "Ever since April and Casey started dating you just hide out in your lab all day!"

"I do not!" Donnie protested.

"Oh really?" Raph asked.

"Hey guys, we got a reply!" Mikey beamed as he pointed to the screen.

Donnie felt his heart leap as he looked to the screen.

 _ **coffiholic16** : I'd like that! =D I mean, we live in the same city but we've been talking online for the last three months!_

 _ **coffiholic16** : Hey I g2g, dad just got home. Why don't we try for tomorrow night since you're such a night owl? lol maybe 10? My dad should be home by then, we could meet on the roof of my apartment so my siblings don't bombard you with a million questions._

 _ **coffiholic16** : My address is_

Donnie blinked, staring at the screen as he read the address. What was he going to do? Would she honestly be okay with him being a mutant turtle? He could barely understand his brothers behind him as his mind began racing with questions and what if's.


	2. Chapter 1

Donnie waited quietly on top of the roof access of the apartment, wondering how he had let his brothers convince him into go through with meeting Coffi. He could have easily waited until a few hours before they were supposed to meet before contacting them to say something came up. Instead, he found himself occasionally glancing at his phone to check the time as he waited.

Donnie found himself wondering if Coffi really was a girl. He had never asked and Coffi had never told him. He never really saw the point in knowing their gender. Then again, he never thought they would be meeting in person. What if Coffi was a girl? The thought made his stomach fill with butterflies. The only girl he had ever really talked to was April and she screamed the first time they met. How was Coffi going to react?

The metal door clicked as it swung open, making Donnie jump before he ducked into the shadows. His eyes widened as a short, pale girl walk onto the roof. Her long blonde hair fell passed her waist and her bangs seemed to frame her dark grey eyes. He watched as she tugged at the hem of her short black and pink dress, biting her bottom lip as she looked around nervously. This couldn't be Coffi, could it?

Donnie pulled his phone out, going to Coffi's contact information, and sent a short text saying, _"Are you there?"_

A quick five toned chime echoed from the girls pocket. She quickly pulled her phone out, smiling as her thumbs danced across the screen.

Donnie's phone buzzed in his hand as he looked to see the message, _"I am! =D Are you running late? I don't see you here."_  
 _"I am here, just promise you won't scream. Okay?"_ Donnie replied.

Donnie watched as the girls face seemed to scrunch up in confusion before she looked around the rooftop.  
"Umm, I don't think you realize how creepy that sounds Smartguy." The girl said nervously as she continued scanning the roof.  
Donnie reread his message before slapping his forehead, "I'm sorry, that came off completely wrong."  
"Why are you hiding?" The girl asked as she clutched her phone.  
Donnie took a deep breath before taking a step out of the shadows. The girls eyes widened as he fully stepped into the light.  
"Um, hi?" Donnie said sheepishly.  
"Y-You're... You're a turtle..." She breathed.

"Um, yea. I am." Donnie said, looking around awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
"That's so cool!" The girl exclaimed, quickly walking up to him, "Why didn't you tell me?!"  
"Would you have believed me if I did?" Donnie asked, laughing nervously as she walked around him, looking him up and down.

She stopped for a minute, blinking at him before she spoke again, "Okay, fair point, but still! This is too cool!"

Donnie couldn't help smiling at her reaction. Here he was worried she would scream and run away, instead she seemed completely fascinated with him.

"Um, c-could I touch you?" The blonde asked, a faint pink color rising in her cheeks.  
Donnie felt himself blush as he slowly nodded, offering his hand to the girl. She gently took his large hand into her smaller hands, running her fingers over his. Donnie felt as if little bolts of electricity were exploding in his stomach as the girl examined his hand, her fingers tickling his skin as she traced over the white wraps.  
"Oh! My name's Nina, by the way." She said with a smile, her dark grey eyes meeting his.  
"I-I'm Donatello. Everyone calls me Donnie though." Donnie replied, smiling at her.

While the two teens continued to talk, the three other turtles watched them from the next roof top.  
"I can't believe you two told him to go meet this girl." Leo said as he carefully watched them.  
"Come on, Leo." Mikey said, motioning to the two, "When was the last time we saw D like that?"

"Besides," Raph added, "We've faced Kraang bots, Foot bots, other mutants, stopped a Kraang invasion... Do you really think we wouldn't be able to handle a girl Donnie met online?"

"What if it wasn't a girl though?" Leo said, "You know those stories about the creeps online pretending to be someone they're not to trick people into meeting them."  
"Yeah," Raph said, "but even if it was some creep we still could have taken them!"

"I guess, but-" Leo stopped when he heard the two teens burst into laughter.  
With a small sigh, Leo smiled as he watched his younger brother with the blonde girl. It _had_ been a while since he had seen Donnie so happy. Raph and Mikey gave Leo a smug grin, making the blue clad turtle roll his eyes.  
"Okay, okay." Leo said, "Maybe this _was_ a good thing for Donnie, but we should be more careful..."

As the three brothers continued their surveillance, Donnie and Nina continued their conversation, unaware of the other three teenagers.  
"Can I see your staff?" Nina asked, motioning to the long weapon on Donnie's back.  
"Uh..." Donnie hesitated for a moment before pulling the staff from his back, "Okay, but you may want to be careful."

Nina carefully took it, feeling the weight of it before she slowly started to twirl the staff between her fingers. Donnie watched in amazement as the blonde began twirling it faster, moving her arm from one side to the other.  
"How...?"  
"It's like my baton!" Nina giggled, "I was in marching band for three years and I always twirled my bat-OW!"  
Nina dropped the staff when it smacked hard against the side of her head.  
"Are you okay?" Donnie asked, gently moving her hands from the spot she held as he examined her head.  
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Nina replied, her eyes watering as she looked up at him, "I think I just forgot to account for your staff being longer than my baton."  
A weak, but relieved smile crossed Donnie's face as Nina picked his staff up and handed it to him, "Thanks for letting me mess with it."

"Uh, s-sure." Donnie replied.  
Nina laughed quietly as she watched Donnie slide the staff back onto his shell. Donnie gave her a curious look, wondering what was so funny.  
"Sorry, sorry," Nina said, "I just can't help thinking about how crazy all this is. I mean... Timmy was right! He'd flip if he could actually meet you! Well... He _would_ have I mean."

"Timmy?" Donnie asked, feeling as if a boulder was forming in his stomach as he watched her smile fade.  
"Yeah." Nina replied, finding a spot to sit down, "He was a good friend of mine that disappeared a little over a year ago."

"Y-you don't say..." Donnie said nervously, taking a seat next to her.

Donnie's mind raced. He knew it was safe to assume Timmy was Timothy, The Pulverizer. He wasn't sure how to tell Nina what had happened to him though. Would she blame him? Would she be mad at him like April was when her dad was mutated? Was he going to lose her if he told her what happened?

"I wish I just knew what happened to him, you know?" Nina said, letting her back lean against the edge of the roof as she sighed, "He was so excited about joining something called The Foot and he kept sending me texts saying he felt like a spy. Whenever I asked what he was talking about he just said he couldn't say yet, but he'd tell me later. Then the last text I got was something about he was going to become a super hero and then he would show everyone how cool he was. It made no sense! He stopped texting after that though and I haven't heard anything from him since then."

Donnie felt as if his insides were turning into knots he could never untie. He had no other choice, seeing the worried look on the girls face, he knew he had to tell her what happened.  
"I... I know what happened to him." Donnie said quietly, "He called himself The Pulverizer, right?"

"What?" Nina turned to him, her eyes wide in surprise, "How'd you know that?"

 _'It was nice while it lasted.'_ Donnie thought to himself.

"Well... It's a long story." Donnie started, taking a breath before speaking again, "You see, one night when my brothers and I..."  
Donnie told her everything. How they first met Timothy, meeting him again, him acting as a spy for them, how he mutated, Timothy going after April, and finally having to freeze him to keep him from hurting anyone. Nina listened carefully, her face shifting from confusion to panic, back to confusion, and then to disbelief. Donnie watched as she quietly stared at her hands.

"Nina?" He said quietly, shifting awkwardly.

"Timmy... Timmy's gone then?" Nina asked, her chest feeling tight as tears began to swell in her eyes.  
"No, no, no!" Donnie said quickly, shifting onto his knees as he waved his hands, "Timothy's still alive! He's just... Until I can figure out a retro-mutagen for him, he has to stay frozen. He doesn't know his own strength now. I think the mutagen may have messed with his mind."

Donnie prepared himself for her reaction. He expected her to be angry, for her to blame him, but instead Nina remained silent. He sat quietly, feeling tense and anxious in the silence.

"THAT IDIOT!" Nina shouted, balling her hands into fists as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Donnie jumped at her sudden outburst, "I-it's okay, I'm-"  
"It's not okay Donnie!" Nina snapped, turning to him, "If Timmy had listened to you- if you're brothers would have let him out-"  
"They didn't know-"  
"I don't care!" Nina exclaimed, jumping to her feet, "If all of them had just listened to you Timmy wouldn't be a frozen tube of goo!"  
Donnie quickly got to his feet. He felt like his heart was in his throat as every tense nerve seemed to scream for him to run away. He knew he couldn't do that though, he had to at least try to calm Nina down.  
"Nina, no one could have guessed this would happen." He said, trying to hide the panic in his voice, "If anyone's to blame then it's me! Timothy was my responsibility, I-"  
After seeing and hearing the panic in Donnie's body language, Nina did the only thing she could think of to comfort him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight as she quietly tried to stop crying into his plastron. Donnie tensed up at the sudden contact, then slowly relaxed as he wrapped his arms around Her.  
"It's not your fault. You tried to stop him." Nina said quietly, "I just... Timmy's always been obsessed with super heroes. With wanting to be a hero. I just can't believe Timmy would go that far to be one."  
"I'm so sorry, Nina." Donnie said, gently squeezing her before he stepped away.  
Nina shook her head as she wiped her eyes, "You don't have to be, Donnie. I just figured he would have learned his lesson by now, you know?"

"His lesson?" Donnie gave her a confused look.  
"Yeah." She nodded, "When we were kids he decided he wanted to be like Spiderman. So he collected a bunch of spiders and let them bite him."  
"He did what?!" Donnie exclaimed, looking at her in shock.  
"He let the spiders bite him." Nina said, a weak chuckle escaping her, "The poor guy's hand looked like a balloon for weeks!"  
As Donnie opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted by Nina's phone ringing.  
"Oh! T-that's my dad." Nina said, "He must be wondering where I'm at. I should get back home."

"Oh, alright." Donnie replied, opening his mouth, then shutting it again.  
He wanted to see her again, but he wasn't sure if Nina would still be willing to after everything that had happened. Before he could figure out how to ask, Nina spoke up again.  
"Um, thanks for telling me about Timmy." She said, "I mean, you could have chose not to tell me and I never would have known any different. I really appreciate it, Donnie."  
"Y-yeah. I mean, you're welcome." Donnie said, fumbling a bit for his words, "I-I thought it would be better to tell you."

A small smile crossed the blondes face as she began walking backwards towards the door, "I'll text you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we could hang out again?"  
"Yeah, sure!" Donnie said, flashing his gap toothed grin at her.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." Nina said, a small chuckle leaving her when she saw his grin.  
"Okay," Donnie said, "H-have a good night!"

"Night!" Nina called back to him as she let the metallic door swing shut behind her.  
Donnie released a heavy sigh. Hearing that Nina didn't blame him for Timothy's current state, hearing her say it wasn't his fault, it was as if an unknown weight had been lifted from him. How had he not realized everything with Timothy had been weighing so heavily on him?  
"So that seemed like it went well." Mikey said, his sudden presence making his tallest brother jump.  
"How long have you been there?!" Donnie exclaimed, turning to face all three of his brothers.  
"Long enough to hear her call you creepy." Raph said with a teasing smirk.  
"Creepy? When did she..?" Donnie thought for a moment, then quickly realized Raph was referring to his last text before coming out of the shadows.  
"You guys have been watching me all night?!" Donnie exclaimed, feeling his face start to burn.  
"We just wanted to make sure you would be okay." Leo said, "Then you guys started talking about Timothy and... well..."  
"We wanted to make sure things stayed okay." Mikey added, "And it looks like they did!"  
Donnie groaned, running a hand down his face. He understood his brothers concern, but it didn't make it any less embarrassing for him.


	3. Chapter 2

The smell of rain filled the air as Donnie waited on the rooftop. Fidgeting with his phone, Donnie kept glancing at the time. He and Nina had met around the same time every Friday for the last two months, but today she was late. She was never late and it made him nervous that she wasn't replying to his text messages. As he watched the hour change on his phone, he frowned, deciding to go to her apartment. Luckily her apartment was on the top floor.  
Cautiously, he dropped down on the fire escape. The smell of vanilla and coffee drifted out of the open window where Donnie could see the living room and kitchen. A faint but upbeat melody could be heard as the tall turtle carefully scanned the interior. That's when he heard it.  
"I've got a pair of eyes that they're getting lost in! They're hypnotized by the way I'm walking! I've got them dazzled like a stage magician, when I point they look and when I talk they listen!" Nina sang as she danced into living room, a small girl balanced on her hip as a small boy mimicked her movements behind her, "Well everybody needs a friend, and I've got you, and you, and you! So many I can't even name them. Can you blame me? I'm too famous!"  
Donnie watched with a small smile as Nina danced with the two dark skinned children. The children giggled as Nina continued singing, her confident voice ringing loud and strong.  
"Haven't you noticed I'm a star? I'm coming into view as the world is-"  
A knock at the door interrupted them, making the kids protest as Nina set the girl down.  
"Come on guys, get your shoes on." Nina told them as she opened the door with a smile, "Hey mom!"  
"Hi there, sweetie!" A thin, dark skinned woman smiled as she walked in, "Sorry to keep you from your date."  
"I-it wasn't a date!" Nina stuttered, her face turning a bright pink, "We were just going to hang out!"  
"Oh, I see." The woman said with a playful nudge.  
"R-really! We're just friends!"  
Donnie couldn't help chuckling as he watched the woman tease the blonde.  
"A-anyways, I already text him to tell him I'd be late. So it should be okay." Nina continued.  
Donnie blinked, pulling his phone out to double check his messages. There was nothing from her. A confused look crossed his face as he turned his attention back to them.  
"Nina!" The boy whined as he clung to her arm, "Come to the park Sunday!"  
"Promise us!" The girl pleaded, clinging to Nina's other arm.  
"If you guys are going to beg like that, I'm just going to stay home and study." Nina replied.  
"NO!" The two hollered, their voices raising several octaves.  
"Hey!" Nina said sternly, "What have I told you guys about whining like that? Mom didn't raise any brats, right?"  
The two children pouted as they stared at her. With a sigh, Nina kneeled down, pulling both of them into a hug.  
"You guys have to learn you can't get what you want by acting like that." Nina said softly, "Mom works really hard, we can't let people think she didn't teach us any manners, right?"  
The children looked at one another before slowly shaking their heads.  
"That's what I thought." Nina said with a smile, "If you two can behave, I'll come play with you all day Sunday, okay?"  
"Really?!" The two exclaimed.  
Nina nodded, making the two cheer as they threw their arms around her. Nina and the woman laughed as Nina stood back up.  
"That's our tough big sister, huh kids?" The woman chuckled as she ruffled Nina's hair.  
"Mom..." Nina groaned.  
Donnie smiled to himself as he watched them exchange their goodbyes. He had never seen that side of Nina before. Usually she was so laid back, he never thought she could have a strict side.  
Once the woman and children were gone, Donnie tapped on the window. Nina jumped, turning to see the purple clad turtle waving at her. Blushing, Nina rushed to the window, opening it wider for him to come in.  
"How long have you been out there?" She asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.  
"Long enough to know you can sing." Donnie replied with a smile as he climbed through the window.  
Nina's eyes widened as she stared at him, "Y-you heard that?!"  
He nodded, "You have a beautiful voice Nina! Why don't you sing more often?"  
Nina glanced around nervously, her cheeks burning a bright red as she repeatedly ran her hands over a thick lock of her blonde hair, "I-I it's not- I mean i-it's not a big deal or anything! Anyone can sing."  
"Have you heard Mikey sing?" Donnie asked, raising an eyebrow ridge, "Trust me, not everyone can."  
"How could I hear him? I haven't even met him or the rest of your family." Nina laughed.  
"That's true." Donnie replied, "Speaking of family, I didn't think I'd see your mom today. Or your siblings."  
"Oh, yeah!" Nina chuckled, "Sorry about having to push back hanging out today. Mom had a meeting so she needed me to watch the twins."  
"Twins?"  
"Yeah," Nina smiled, "They just turned six last week!"  
"I didn't realize they were twins." Donnie commented, as he followed Nina into the kitchen.  
"A lot of people don't realize it actually. Since Lilly got dad's tall genes a lot of times people think she's a year older than James." Nina explained as she stretched on her toes to reach the two mugs from the shelf.  
Without thinking, Donnie reached over her, grabbing the two mugs and handing them to her. With a smile, Nina thanked him before pouring the warm coffee into the mugs. This had become a normal routine for them when Nina's dad wasn't home. Donnie would get the mugs, even though Nina tried to reach them, and Nina would make their coffee. It was so natural for them that a person would think they had been doing this for years instead of a couple months.  
Donnie watched as Nina added the sugar to both their mugs, a small amount for him but twice as much for hers. He stirred the sugar in his own mug as Nina added the hazelnut creamer to her.  
"By the way," Donnie said, "You told your mom you sent a message to me, didn't you?"  
"Yeah, why?" Nina asked.  
"Are you sure it went to me?" Donnie asked, "I never got it."  
"Really?" Nina asked, setting her mug down.  
Donnie followed her to her room. He couldn't help smiling at the large room as he leaned against the door frame. The cream colored walls were covered in photographs, posters, and paintings. The room smelled like apples and cinnamon and was very clean, aside from some clutter on her dresser and the scattered papers on her desk.  
"You can come in if you want." Nina said as she pulled her phone off of its charger.  
Donnie nodded, stepping into the room as he walked to the wall that was covered in photos. There were several photos of different landscapes, buildings, and people in the city. Donnie's eyes fell on a photo of Nina with four other people. The three girls were leaning close against Nina and another person whose face was covered with a piece of duct tape.  
"Oh crap!" Nina hissed, "My message never went through! You were seriously out there all that time?!"  
"Erm... yes?" Donnie replied as he stared at the wide eyed girl.  
"I'm so sorry about that!" Nina exclaimed, "I never thought to check my phone after I put it on the charger!"  
"It's okay, really." Donnie replied, waving his hand, "I'm more curious about this picture."  
"Hm?" Nina walked over to him, frowning when she realized which photo he was talking about, "Oh... It's my ex under the tape. If he wasn't in the middle of the photo I would have just cut him out. Honestly, if that wasn't the only picture I have of Emmy, I wouldn't even have it up there."  
Nina sighed as she sat on her bed. Donnie glance at the picture before turning his attention back to her.  
"Was it that bad?" Donnie asked, "The break up I mean. If you don't mind me asking."  
"I don't mind." Nina said, "It was, well..."  
Nina bit her bottom lip, trying to find the right words as Donnie sat in the chair for her desk. He carefully moved a couple papers, placing his mug on the desk.  
"It was fine at first." Nina finally said, "Things were going good, at least I thought they were, but then he just... He started hinting that he wanted more."  
"More?" Donnie gave her a confused look.  
Nina nodded, a faint pink color rising in her cheeks, "He... He wanted to do _it_."  
Donnie felt his cheeks burn, "O-oh."  
"Yeah," Nina muttered, "I-I didn't want to though."  
There was a moment of silence between the two teens before Nina continued, turning her attention to the floor.  
"He just kept pushing and I kept telling him I didn't want to. He got mad and asked me why one day. I didn't know why I didn't want to. I just..." She paused for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, "I just didn't feel like it. I... I don't think I've ever felt like doing that kinda stuff. When I told him that, he got really mad and told me he and his last girlfriend did that kinda stuff all the time. He said..."  
Donnie watched as Nina gripped the edge of her bed.  
"He said I was just a tease. Cause we would cuddle and kiss, and I liked those things, but I never wanted to go farther. I told him I just didn't feel like doing things like that. I don't know why, I just don't. So he broke up with me and told me he... he didn't want a broken girlfriend."  
Donnie stared at her, his brown eyes wide with surprise that someone would talk to Nina like that. Nina looked up at him, her grey eyes shining as if she were holding tears back.  
"I-I've never been interested in sex." She said, her voice starting to shake, "I-is that really that strange, Donnie? I'm n-not really broken, right?"  
Donnie quickly moved next to Nina, sitting beside her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.  
"Of course you're not, Nina." Donnie replied, resting his chin on her head, "If anything, it sounds like you're asexual."  
"Like, I could make my own baby?" She asked, glancing up at him with a confused look.  
"No, no," Donnie replied, trying not to chuckle, "You're thinking of asexual reproduction. Asexual is when a person doesn't have any sexual feelings or desire. It doesn't mean you're broken, Nina. That's the farthest thing from the truth."  
"Really?" Nina asked, pulling away from him as she looked at him.  
Donnie nodded, a small smile on his face.  
"How do you know about that?" She asked, "Are you..?"  
"Me?" Donnie felt himself blush, "N-no, I'm not. As far as I'm aware of I'm straight. Though when you have as hard of a time sleeping as I do, you manage to do a lot of reading."  
"I see." Nina said as she looked away for a moment, before looking back at him with a smile. "Thanks, Donnie. I never really thought of it that way before."  
"I'm glad I could help." Donnie said, flashing his usual gap toothed grin.  
Nina let out a small giggle when she saw his smile. She didn't think he would ever notice how cute his smile really was.  
"How bout we change the topic?" Nina suggested, "My dad won't be home for a while, do you wanna watch this ocean documentary I recorded last night?"  
"Sure!"


	4. AN

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading this story, I'm glad so many of you like it! I just wanted to give you guys an update and let you know I do still plan on working on this story when I get the chance to, but for now it's been put on a bit of a hold due to things going on irl. Between work, family issues, and trying to write my own original book, I haven't had much of a chance to work on fanfics. But this story is already planned out in my head and will be about 12 or 13 chapters all together when it's done. The next chapter is maybe a third of the way finished, but once things start calming down I'll be able to start posting more again.

Sorry for the wait everyone!

~Lucy


	5. Chapter 3

"Are you sure about this?" Nina asked nervously as she followed Donnie through the dim tunnel.  
"It's going to be fine Nina." Donnie replied with a reassuring smile, "Sensei just wants to meet you since we've been hanging out so much. I promise, he's not upset or anything."  
"You sure?" Nina asked with a worried look.  
Donnie nodded before asking, "Why are you so worried?"  
Nina was quiet for a moment, biting her bottom lip before she spoke up, "What if I mess up? I don't want to do something that makes your dad think we shouldn't be friends anymore."  
She had never been close enough to someone to meet their parents like this. She had seen parents at school before, been introduced to them, but that was usually the extent of it. A face to a name, that's all it had ever been. This time though, she was actually going to have a conversation with a parent. What if she said something wrong? What if she accidentally offended Donnie's dad? Would he still be allowed to see her?  
Donnie took the blonde girls hand in his own as he gently squeezed it. Nina squeezed back, appreciating the warmth from his larger hand.  
"Don't worry about it." Donnie assured her, "Just be yourself. I think Sensei is really going to like you."

Nina nodded giving the brown eyed boy a weak smile. Nina took a deep breath when she heard the soft echo of voices ahead of them.  
"Is that your brothers?" She asked.  
"Yeah." Donnie said with an uneasy chuckle, recognizing the sound of his older brother yelling at Mikey.  
"Mikey!" Raph's voice echoed as the two teens entered the lair.  
"Dr. Prankenstein strikes again!" Mikey called as he threw another water balloon.  
Raph ducked before realizing Donnie and Nina walked in. Nina let out a yelp as she saw the yellow water balloon close in on her. The room filled with gasps as Donnie jumped in front of the blonde, letting the balloon pop against his plastron.  
"Mikey!" Donnie hissed, glaring at his younger brother.  
"Oops, sorry, D." Mikey said sheepishly as he shrank back a bit.  
"Are you okay?" Nina asked, looking at the taller turtle.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Donnie replied, "Just a little wet."  
"So you're Nina, right?" Raph asked, trying to change the topic.  
"Y-yeah," Nina said, smiling at the red clad turtle, "You must be Raph, right?"  
"You talk about us?" Raph asked, turning to Donnie.  
"Mainly stories about things we've done." Donnie replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.  
"Sorry about the balloon." Mikey said, peeking around Donnie, "I'm Mikey!"  
"Nice to meet you Mikey." Nina said with a smile.  
"It's good to officially meet you!" Mikey grinned.  
"Officially?" Nina gave him a curious look.  
"Apparently the first night we met in person, all my brothers were watching us." Donnie said.  
"I'm not sure if that's sweet or creepy." Nina laughed, "I get it though. I'd probably do the same for the twins if they were the ones meeting an online person."  
"Twins?" Mikey and Raph asked in unison.  
"My little brother and sister." Nina explained, "There six now, but if they were the ones in my place I'd totally keep an eye on them."  
"It is good you are protective of your younger siblings." A low, calm voice said, making the teens turns.  
Nina let out a small squeak as her eyes fell on Master Splinter. She had been expecting another turtle, so seeing the tall rat man before her was a surprise. Donnie couldn't help smiling as he watched her wide, dark eyes light up.  
 _'Don't ask to pet him! Do not ask to pet him!'_ Nina mentally told herself before speaking up, "You're tall!"  
Her response earned a warm smile from Splinter as Mikey snickered and Raph gave Donnie a questioning look.  
"I suppose I am." Splinter said as Donnie stepped closer to them.  
"Sensei, this is Nina." Donnie said with a smile, looking to both of them, "Nina this is Master Splinter, our dad."  
"It is good to finally meet you, Nina." Splinter said, smiling at the teens, "I have heard many things about you."  
"It's nice to meet you too, sir." Nina said before giving Donnie a curious look, "'Many things' huh?"  
"W-well, I wouldn't say _many_ things." Donnie replied, looking away sheepishly, "About the same as what I've told you about my family."  
"Yeah, that's why you always have a Nina story." Mikey whispered to Donnie, who quickly elbowed him.  
Before Nina could ask why Donnie did that, a blue masked turtle walked into the room.  
"The tea is ready!" He said, noticing the blonde and smiling at her, "Oh! It's nice to finally meet you, Nina. I'm Leo."  
"Hi Leo." Nina said with a smile, "It's nice to meet you too."  
Nina was relieved at how welcoming Donnie's family was and Donnie was glad to see how well they all were getting along. Soon they all found themselves sitting around the kitchen, drinking their tea and talking about various things.  
"By the way," Donnie asked Nina, "How'd that science experiment go?"  
"Umm... It went?" Nina replied, turning her attention to her tea as she ran her thumb along the edge of the cup, "My group didn't want to listen to me. So in the end we wound up just slapping something together at the last minute."  
"What?" Donnie gave her a surprised look, "You had a good idea though."  
"Yeah, well..." Nina shrugged, "No one really wants to listen to the blonde cheerleader when it comes to science stuff, ya know?"  
"Cheerleader?!" The boys exclaimed, making the girl blush.  
"Erm, y-yeah." Nina replied, glancing around nervously, "They have some good scholarship options, so I switched from marching band to cheerleading half way through my freshman year."  
"Since you're thinking of scholarship options I take it you're planning on going to college after you graduate?" Splinter asked.  
"Yes, sir." Nina replied with a smile, "I'm still not sure where I wanna go, but I figure it can't hurt to start applying for scholarships now."  
Splinter nodded, an approving smile spreading across his face. As he began to speak, he was interrupted by the sound of excited chatter from the entrance of the lair.  
"Hey guys! Where is everyone?" The girls voice echoed.  
"We brought pizza!" A boys voice happily added.  
Donnie tensed, instantly recognizing April and Casey's voices. The four turtles exchanged concerned glances as Nina curiously looked to the direction of the voices.  
"We are in the kitchen." Splinter called to the two teens.  
"Sensei..." Donnie gave him a pleading look.  
"Donatello, you need to face them at some point." Splinter replied quietly as the two teens rounded the corner.  
"Hey gu-Nina?!" April nearly dropped the two pizza's when her eyes fell on the blonde.  
"Blondie?!" Casey exclaimed, "What are _you_ doing here?!"  
Nina jumped when she recognized her classmates, "Y-you guys know Donnie too?!"  
Donnie's stories suddenly clicked for Nina. Of course it was April O'Neil and Casey Jones he had been talking about. What other April and Casey were dating in New York? What were the chances it would have been a different April and Casey he had been talking about? All Nina knew for sure was suddenly having the faces to the names really made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't like or dislike April or Casey, she honestly hadn't had much interaction with them besides what little they had talked in class. Seeing April now though, knowing she was the girl Donnie had such strong feelings towards, it made her chest suddenly feel tight. Seeing Casey too, knowing he was the boy Donnie compared himself too... Nina couldn't see how Donnie could think this boy was better than him.  
"You guys know each other?" Mikey asked.  
"We have some classes together." Nina replied, looking to the other humans as a sense of awkwardness washed over her.  
Nina glanced to Donnie, who was nervously looking around before he spoke up, "Oh! I was going to show you my lab Nina!"  
"Oh yeah! I can't wait to see it!" Nina replied, quickly following the tallest turtle as he lead the way out of the room.  
Donnie quickly shut the door behind them, not catching what was said as he did. He sighed in relief, sliding down the door as he ran a hand over his face.  
"I don't know why it never clicked that they were the ones you were talking about." Nina said as she watched Donnie.  
"I don't know why it never crossed my mind that you would know them." Donnie said, turning his attention to the girl, "I'm sorry about that."  
"It's okay." Nina replied, leaning against the near by table.  
An awkward silence filled the room for a moment. Both teens felt their chests tighten for different reasons.  
Donnie mentally kicked himself. He knew he wasn't over April, but he couldn't believe he had just ran away like that. Especially since he dragged Nina with him. It was going to make things so much more awkward for her when she went back to school. After all, Nina was the one who would have to face them on a nearly daily basis without an option to run.  
Nina knew Donnie was still trying to get over April, but now that she knew who she was, a sudden insecurity hit her. She wasn't even sure why she felt insecure. She knew Donnie didn't think of her that way. She had never really thought of Donnie that way either... right? Nina bit her lip, looking around the room as she let her mind wander. Donnie was one of the sweetest guys she knew and he was always able to make her laugh with his corny jokes and the way he would grin at her. There was just something about being around him that was so calming for her. When she was with him she felt like all her worries and problems just disappeared.  
As Nina looked around the room, her eyes fell on a large container that appeared to have floating organs inside it. Donnie turned his attention to her when he saw a blonde eyebrow raise. Nina walked over to the container curiosity getting to her as she started looking over the container.  
"Donnie what's this?" She asked, turning to look at the purple clad turtle.  
Donnie shrank back a bit before he got up, making his way to the blonde as he tried to figure out how to tell her.  
"Nina, do you remember what I told you about Timothy?" Donnie asked.  
"This is Timmy?!" Nina gasped.  
Donnie nodded.  
Nina was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again, "Does it hurt?"  
"I don't think so." Donnie replied, shaking his head, "I think it's more like being asleep."  
"I see..." Nina muttered.  
There was a long silence between the two as Nina stared at Timothy.  
"Thank you for not giving up on him." Nina finally said, turning to Donnie with a small smile.  
"Of course." Donnie replied, returning the smile.  
"So..." Nina said as she looked around the lab, "What other things have you been working on?"  
"Oh! Over here I've got..."  
The two teens spent the next couple hours talking about Donnie's experiments and ideas for different gadgets. Both of them quickly forgetting about the awkwardness they had felt before.


	6. Chapter 4

Nina shifted nervously in her chair, absentmindedly picking at the chipped pink nail polish on her long nails. She glanced at the red head next to her as she chewed her bottom lip. April glanced at the blonde, blue eyes meeting grey eyes before they quickly looked away from one another. Both girls turned their attention back to the science teacher as he snapped his lesson planer shut.  
"Now I know we got a late start on the project today," The teacher continued, "But I expect you all to have a working 'car' by the end of the week. That being said, go ahead and get started."  
The classroom quickly filled with chatter as the two girls shifted uncomfortably. A week had passed since they had discovered they both knew the turtles. Ever since their awkward encounter they had avoided one another, until they had been paired up for a class project. Nina examined the contents of the shoe box in front of them. Their assignment was to use the items in the box to make some sort of makeshift car that would be raced against the other cars in the classroom. All the blonde could see was miscellaneous items she would swear Mr. Jenkins pulled from a trash can.  
' _What can we build with an empty soda can, chop sticks, tooth picks, a couple empty spools of thread, a-_ ' Her train of thought was interrupted when April finally spoke up.  
"Okay, I'm just going to ask." April said, turning to the blonde, "How long have you and Donnie known each other?"  
Nina blinked, surprised at April's sudden bluntness, "U-um... It's been like... Half a year or so? I think?"  
"Really?" April asked, a disappointed look crossing her face, "He never said anything though."  
"It's kinda understandable though, don't you think?" Nina asked.  
"What do you mean?" April asked.  
"Well..." Nina shifted awkwardly, "Y-you did know how Donnie felt about you, right?"  
"W... Y-yeah, I did." April replied, feeling her cheeks burn, "But-"  
"It's not my place to say, but you guys really hurt him." Nina said, turning her attention back to the items in the box.  
April felt as if a knot was beginning to grow in her stomach. She was quiet for a moment before quietly replying, "We didn't mean to."  
"I know," Nina said, still keeping her attention on the box, "I'm sure he knows it too, but from his point of view... April, it had to hurt way more than normal. I mean, it's not like he knows many humans, let alone girls."  
There was an awkward silence between the girls as April stared at her hands and Nina turned the empty can over in her hands.  
"I don't mean to make you feel bad." Nina said, "It's just he's told me a lot. It's actually why we started talking."  
"What did he say?" April asked, looking at her.  
"I can't say." Nina replied, turning her attention to the red head, "I can tell you though, we met in a relationship chat room. He was looking for advice and I was still getting over my break up. We both kinda leaned on each other and after three months we agreed to meet up in person."  
"Really?" April asked, surprised he would be willing to reveal himself.  
"Actually, it was Mikey and Raph that suggested it." Nina said, a small smile crossing her face as she recalled Donnie telling her about it, "They thought it may be good for him and they even watched us when we met. Leo came with them too."  
"They never said anything to us though..." April said, "I don't know why they would keep something like that from us."  
"I don't think they were keeping it from you." Nina replied, "I think... I think it was more them wanting Donnie to have something to himself."  
"Huh?" April gave her a confused look.  
"I mean, think about it, you all were friends." Nina said, "Then you and Casey got together and things changed a bit. You're all still friends though, so you would have wanted to help him, right?"  
"Of course!" April replied.  
"Exactly." Nina said, "Having you and Casey help, it would be like rubbing salt in the wound. It hurt him enough knowing you chose someone that wasn't him, but then to have you try to comfort him about it, it's one of those 'you can't have your cake and eat it too' kind of things. It would have hurt him more than help him."  
"We didn't mean to hurt him though." April said.  
"I know and he knows it too. It's just one of those things where it's easier to talk to a stranger. I was that stranger, but then we became friends. I don't know his brothers that well, but I think they didn't say anything about me cause... How can I put it?" Nina paused for a moment, "I think they knew that you guys would want to meet me, but Donnie wasn't ready for that yet, you know? Again, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything, but I think he's still not fully over you yet."  
April shifted uncomfortably in her chair. An awkward silence fell between the two of them again before April spoke once again.  
"I don't know what to do." She said.  
"You don't have to do anything." Nina said, "It's just going to take time. That's it."  
"Have you been through this before?" April asked.  
"Not exactly. I've seen my dads relationships though. Donnie can handle himself better than my dad can, so I know he'll be okay."  
"Are you sure?" April asked.  
Nina nodded, "It's going to be awkward for a while, but eventually things will get back to normal for you guys. That's what I told Donnie when we first started talking."  
"I can see why Donnie likes talking to you." April said, a small smile crossing her face.  
"Huh?"  
"You give good advice." April said.  
"I-it wasn't really advice or anything, I was just saying..." Nina replied sheepishly as she looked away.  
The bell rang, making both girls jump. They both quickly gathered their things, leaving the classroom as they talked about their schedules after school.  
"Hey babe!" Casey called as he made his way to the two girls, "Hey blondie."  
"Hey," April greeted as Nina nodded at the boy.  
"Since you're here blondie, I gotta ask," Casey said, putting an arm around April, "Are you and Donnie dating?"  
"HUH?!" Nina felt as if her whole face had turned several shades of red as the small box fell from her hands.  
"Casey!" April hissed, helping the blonde pick up the miscellaneous items that had spilled out of the box.  
"What? I've been curious!" Casey replied, helping the girls. "Why are you guys packing around trash?"  
"W-we're just f-friends. That's all." Nina replied, "And this is for our science project."  
"What kind of science project uses junk?" Casey asked.  
"We have to make a car with this stuff." April said.  
"You know, I bet Donnie could help with that. Even if you two aren't dating." Casey grinned.  
Nina frowned. She wasn't sure what to think of asking Donnie for help. She knew that he would help her in a heart beat, but the fact that it would be April asking for help too, she wasn't sure how he would feel about that.

Meanwhile, back in the lair, Donnie sighed as he walked out of his lab.  
"Are you alright my son?" Splinter asked.  
"Oh, yes sensei." Donnie replied, "I guess I've just got a lot on my mind."  
"Perhaps you would like to talk about it?" Splinter offered.  
"I don't think so, but thank you sensei." Donnie replied as he started to pass his father.  
"You cannot avoid them forever you know." Splinter said.  
"Huh?" Donnie turned to him.  
"April and Casey." The rat man said, "They are still your friends, aren't they?"  
Donnie was quiet for a moment before replying, "They are..."  
"Then how much longer do you plan on avoiding them?" Splinter asked.  
Donnie quietly stared at the floor, unsure of how to answer.  
"How long has it been now?" Splinter asked, "About nine months, yes?"  
"...Yes sensei."  
"Do you plan on avoiding them for a year?"  
"No... It's just..."  
"Awkward?" Splinter offered.  
"It hurts Sensei." Donnie replied. "I guess part of me always knew April would choose Casey, but..."  
"But have you realized this is the first time you have talked about April in the last two months?" Splinter said.  
"Huh?"  
"I have noticed since you began spending time with Nina, you have talked about April less. These days you seem to talk more about Nina." Splinter stated.  
"D-do I?" Donnie asked.  
"My son, I think it is time you face them." Splinter said, "It won't be easy. It will be uncomfortable at first, but if you wish to work passed that you need to face them."  
"Hai sensei." Donnie said, nodding.  
A smile crossed Splinter's face as he placed a hand on the tall turtles shoulder, "Come, I shall make us some tea."


End file.
